Working as a barista and radio host nicely blends two passions

To Marcus Doucette, making cappuccinos and spinning music aren't really all that different from one another.

Nor, for that matter, is yoga, a passion he both practices and teaches, when not a barista at Rochambo or hosting a show on WYMS-FM (88.9), better known as 88Nine RadioMilwaukee.

To Doucette, they're all service professions, bringing bright little spots to someone's day.

"I just love to share," he said. "It gets me excited."

Ten years ago, while hanging out at the Brady St. coffeehouse, an employee offered him a part-time job there. Doucette took it and never left: "I just sort of happened into this," he said.

Doucette has always held varied jobs within the service industry, including his radio gig.

"I would consider being a DJ as being in the service industry. It's just that the platter is a little different," he said.

At Rochambo, his love for music is loud and clear.

The coffeehouse's library of 200 CDs is the result of 13 employees pooling their favorite artists in an eclectic mix.

"There's a lot of cross-pollination that happens here naturally," Doucette said. "This has definitely been a great place to cultivate music. The owners give you a lot of room to be yourself. This was a great breeding ground for being a DJ."

When 88Nine RadioMilwaukee was launched a year ago, so was his show, which airs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(He has another show from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturdays.)

"I'll play anything at Rochambo," he said. "As far as the radio, it's a little more tightly wound."

Soon, he'll add a second show, with a world music focus, called Sound Travels, airing midday Fridays.

As when he's serving up coffee at Rochambo, Doucette's open to ideas.

"Sometimes I find myself listening to music that has no place outside of my ears, like Senegalese music," he said.